Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1887-08-27
The Exhaustion Of Petrolcum.

The Exhaustion OF Petroleum.
It can hardly be doubted, I fear,
that the supply both Of oil and gas has
now been so largely drawn upon that
within less than score of years
scarcely any will be left which can be
brought at reasonable cost into the
market. The boundaries and extent of
the oil regions have been determined.
All the sands in which oil will ever be
found in such quantities as to be worth
working are known, and have been
drilled through in various places. It
is scarcely possible that any new fields
will be discovered which will be COM
parable, either in extent or productive
ness, with those now known. So far
back as January, 1883. Professor Les
ley pointed out that no petroleum
is now being produced in the Devonian
rocks, either by the process akin to dis
tillation or otherwise. What has been
stored up in the past, a process which
probably lasted for millions of years,
may go out But when these reser-
voirs are exhausted there will be an
end of the petroleum supply. "ThA
discovery of few more pools of 2, OOO,-
900 or 5000, 900 each can make but lit
tie difference Mr.. CARL, whose opin-
ion on the geology of the oil-bearing
districts may be regarded as decisive,
has come to q similar conclusion.
There are not at present, he pointed
out recently, "any reasonable grounds
for expecting the discovery of new
fields which will add to the declining
products of the old, SO as to enable
the output to keep pace with the ship
ments of consumption.
The. stored petroleum in this region
has then been very nearly exhausted.
IN less than generation q small part
Of the population of this continent
alone has used up nearly all the valua-
b 70 stores of energy which had been
accumulated during millions of years of
the geologic past.
More recent inquiries confirm the
conclusions of Professor Lesley and
Mr.. CARL. The signs of exhaustion in
the oil producing regions can now be
clearly recognized, During the last
four years there has been steady di-
nlinution in the output, accompanied
by an increase in the price per barrel,
which, neverless, does not even main
tain the nominal annual value of the
supply. Mr.. Wrigley announced in
1882 that 154, 00O,0 900 barrels of oil had
already been raised up to the begin
ming of that year, and expressed the
opinion that more than sc, 100000 bar
rels remained to he raised. In this last
estimate he was undoubtedly mistaken,
for up to the beginning of 1885, no
fewersthan 261 200, 600 barrelsIhad been
raised, and in the year 1885 as many as
Fl, $40, O41 barrels (nearly 100000
fewer than in 1SSD were obtained.
But although the estimate of 1856 of
the quantity of oil still remaining fell
short Of the truth. and though we may
admit as possible that even now much
more oil remains to be put out than the
most experienced biologists suppose,
the signs of approaching exhaustion
are yearly becoming more unmistaka-
BILE. The expense OF bringing the oil
to the surface grows greater year
by year, and threatens soon to become
so great that the profit of working
the oil stores will. be evanes-
cent. So soon as that state of things is
approached we may he sure that the
oilmen's occupation in Pennsylvania
and western New York will be gene.
It has been stated that the Japanese,
unwilling to let the least friction of
earths interior stores be lost, have
been known to excavate vertical shaft
to the depth of 600 feet in order to
r;sise few gallons of oil per day. But
America, when the oil mines are so
rear exhaustion as this, they will be
ahandoned; nay. they will be aban-
,;oned long before they approach such
:, condition. With the failure of the
Ill supply all the collateral branches
Of industry associated with it will fail,
tuo.-H0nae Knowledge.